Think of the Children - Rewritten
by InfinityxInfinity95
Summary: This was my first story. Decided to look at some of my old stuff, even though most of my stories need updating, and I'm even writing a new one. Anyway, Esme comes home from work with bruises on her face, Carlisle wants to know what happened. Will trying to protect your family end up tearing them apart? (No new chapters written yet, just rewriting old ones.)
1. Rewritten Chapter 1

Esme was sat in the coffee shop, in a quiet corner, watching the twins sleep in their pram. She had her daughter, Rosalie, fidgeting on her lap, drinking a juice carton. She was rambling on about her friends at Pre-K, every so often tapping Esme's arm to get her attention. Esme wasn't paying much attention to her eldest child, and was completely wrapped up in her own thoughts. She could feel the weight of her daughter and could see her boys sleeping, but other than that, she felt void of emotion, feeling. It was like her mind was blank.

Rosalie shifted on her lap, and Esme shook her head slightly, almost like she was waking herself up from her despondent state. The motion made her suddenly aware of all the noise around her, and of someone calling her name. She sighed inwardly, not in the mood to talk to whoever it was who had decided to sit next to her. She absentmindedly shifted, fluffing at her hair, pulling it in front of her eyes. Maybe if she ignored the intruder, she would just go away.

She thought it might work as out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman beside her sigh and lift her rucksack to her shoulder, until Edward began to cry. It wasn't the quiet, tired cry he normally did in his sleep, it was loud, angry sobs. She slid Rose off her lap, next to the woman who had put her rucksack back down, and lifted her son into her arms, closing her eyes briefly as he quietened almost immediately. She looked down at him, smiling as she stared into his bright green eyes.

She dropped the smile from her face as she turned to properly look at the woman who would just not leave. She felt slightly guilty for ignoring her when she saw it was her friend Renee, with her daughter, and Esme's goddaughter, Bella. Esme muttered a quick apology, staring at the ground by Renee's feet. Bella and Rose began chatting animatedly, the way excited four year olds did when they were together. She placed Edward back in his pram, buckling him in safe, and collected all their things together. She took hold of Rose's hand, ignoring her protests and made towards the door. She was almost out of the door, before the back wheel of the pram got stuck, and she paused.

A hand reached down, helping free the wheel and Esme turned, noticing Renee had followed her out of the café. As soon as the wheel was free, Esme pushed it fully out the door, turning to her friend who seemed to be frowning at her. Bella pushed past Esme's leg, to go and stand next to Rose, and they resumed their chatter. Renee and Esme continued to stare at each other until her close friend of six years broke the silence.

"Esme, what is going on? I have not heard from you for weeks, and then when I finally do see you, you blank me. What did I do?" Renee asked, placing her hand on her friends arm. Esme shrugged it off, looking down at her feet, clearly embarrassed to have been called out on her rude behaviour.

"Nothing is going on Ren… I'm fine, I'm sorry I ignored you, I just have a lot on my mind." She couldn't bring herself to look at Renee properly, instead choosing to watch their daughters, sitting, and chatting on the park bench a few feet in front of them. Esme pushed the pram to join them, jumping a little as Renee linked their arms. They sat together, the boys both napping, the girls playing with the dolls Bella had in her bag.

It seemed Renee would not accept her answer and sat, watching her, keeping their arms linked until Esme continued. "Look, I need to get home, the boys need a nap." Renee raised her eyebrow, looking over at the boys who were sleeping, Emmett having been sleeping pretty much since Esme left the house.

"Something is going on Es... You're not normally this distracted. I know we've not spoken for a while, but I'm worried about you." Renee put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what's going on." Esme glanced up at her daughter who had gone quiet, and was watching her mother quietly. Seeing the worried look on her young daughters face, she smiled, waving at her. That seemed to placate her, as she went back to her dolls, and Esme turned back to Renee.

"I don't know. It's nothing. Stress at work?" She nodded to herself and looked at Renee innocently. Renee frowned and raised her eyebrows disapprovingly. "Esme, you haven't worked for weeks. You've been on maternity leave. Tell me the truth." She leaned forward as Emmett whimpered, but sat back when noticing he was still asleep.

"Well they've been short staffed lately Ren. I work two afternoons a week, when Carlisle is home to look after the babies. Are you calling me a liar?" Esme glared at her, and Renee shook her head, confused as to why Esme was suddenly on the defensive. Esme had not spoken to Renee in almost three months, since the twins were born, and her behaviour was getting stranger the more Renee thought about it.

"I umm... Well..." She stopped talking as she had noticed Renee looking at her strangely. She looked nervous. "It's nothing." She tried to change the subject, standing up to go and crouch next to the young girls as they were playing. Bella offered her godmother the doll she was holding, and Esme took it, smiling at her gratefully. Renee didn't give up, and moved down onto the grass with the rest of them, turning the pram to face them.

"Esme..." Esme looked away from her, clenching her fist. It was clear she was getting annoyed, after 6 years, Renee recognised the signs of when her friend was angry. She was glaring at the ground, and kept unclenching then clenching her hand. Renee frowned, lifting her hand to tuck Esme's hair behind her ear, trying to calm her before their daughters noticed.

It was then she discerned the faint outline of a bruise across the side of her head, covered with concealer. She gently ran her finger over the bruise, taking note of the Esme's wince. When she dropped her hand she could see the mark was slightly darker, and she could see the look of shame that Esme was shooting at her. Renee's gut tightened as she looked at the four kids, the girls watching their mothers, the dolls still hanging in mid-air from when they were playing. Esme looked scared and was trying to avoid looking anywhere but at her hand, knotted together on her lap.

"Esme, what happened? Who did that to you?" Esme shook her head and stood, Rosalie immediately jumped up and took her hand, looking up at her mother with wide eyes. She turned the pram around, walking out of the park down the street. She didn't look back, even when she realised Rose had left her sun hat. They had made it across the road and were a few streets away from home when Renee and Bella caught up to them, Renee placing Rose's hat on her head, taking both of the girls by the hands. Something was going on, and Renee needed to get to the bottom of it.

**So, I know it isn't great, but it is definitely better than it used to be. I remember what the original plot line was meant to be and it sucks, so when I am re-writing the chapters, I may change them around a bit. Enjoy, and please review, especially if you read the first version. Let me know if this is any better.**


	2. Rewritten Chapter 2

Esme carried on walking slowly, towards the direction of her house. Renee kept up with her, always keeping one eye on the kids, as Esme was clearly distracted. The twins had been getting a bit restless and Emmett had started crying. Renee stepped in front of Esme and the pram as they got to her house, stopping Esme in her tracks. "Es, why don't you come inside? Charlie is at work, I can make some coffee and we can just chat… Bella has some new toys I'm sure she'd love to show Rose…" Esme looked like she was going to argue, but a steely gaze from Renee and she shut her mouth, nodding slowly.

Renee helped her lift the pram over the high step after unlocking the door. Bella and Rose barged past them, running up the stairs to Bella's room, while Renee lifted one of the twins and carried them into the main room. Esme followed her silently, cradling Emmett who was still fussing. "Ssshhh baby don't cry… what's wrong sweetheart are you hungry?" She started to smile as Emmett began to settle, just comforted with being in his mother's arms. Renee lay Edward down on the sofa net to Esme and Emmett, placing a pacifier in his mouth. She put her hand on Esme's shoulder in a comforting manner for a moment, before walking towards the kitchen.

After boiling the kettle, and shuffling round the kitchen, clattering cutlery on crockery, opening and closing cupboards, Renee emerged, passing straight by Esme as she crossed the room to the stairs. Minutes later, Rose and Bella were sat in front of the television and Renee was carrying bowls of ice cream for the girls, cups of coffee for the adults, and warmed bottles of milk she had taken from Esme's bag, for the twins.

Esme slowly drank her coffee, watching her twins wave their arms, smiling as their fists bumped repeatedly in the air. The girls were talking quietly, transfixed with 'Peppa Pig' or whatever kids program they were currently obsessed with, and though Esme hadn't noticed, Renee was watching Esme intently, waiting for her to begin talking. Eventually she got tired of waiting for Esme to make the first move, and shuffled closer to Esme, trying to catch her attention. When she looked up at her, Renee raised her brow. "I want you to tell me who hit you Esme." She said simply. Esme glared at her, shushing her and made a motion with her hands as if to make her lower her voice.

"It only happened once and it was a misunderstanding." She looked over at the girls who seemingly hadn't heard her, before gritting her teeth, shaking her head at her friend who was becoming increasingly annoying. "Carlisle? Carlisle hit you?" Renee's voice became louder and Esme shushed her again.

Esme clenched her eyes shut, her stomach sinking as she heard the television volume go down, and her daughter gasp. She figured Rose didn't understand what Renee had said, but the mention of her father's name and the detectable anger in her friend's mom's voice might make her concerned. "Shut up!" She hissed quietly, smiling at her daughter as if nothing was wrong. Slowly, Rose turned back to her programme and Bella turned the volume back up, before Esme turned back to Renee. "No, Carlisle did not hit me!" She continued speaking quietly, keeping one eye on her daughter to check she wasn't listening. She looked down at her boys who seemed to be holding hands, and placed her hand atop their conjoined ones, as if grounding herself, focusing back on the conversation at hand.

She was about to carry on talking when she felt her daughters little hand slip into hers. She looked up at the four year old. She was smart for her age, and very inquisitive, maybe Esme was wrong about her not understanding what the adults had been talking about. She looked at her little girl, trying to look happy, but frowned when her bottom lip began to quiver. She had heard. "Daddy hit mommy?" She asked, squeezing Esme's hand tightly.

"No he didn't honey. Mommy fell." Esme tried to explain, exasperated. She narrowed her eyes at her soon-to-be-ex friend, muttering about keeping her mouth shut, before she lifted Rose to sit on her lap. She held her hand to her daughter's cheek, capturing her full attention. "Mommy is fine, she and daddy love each other. And we love you." She turned back to Renee. "Don't go causing a scene."

She stood up, telling Rose to collect all her things, before lifting the boys one by one to put back into their pram. They needed a bath, and Rose needed a nap, and Esme needed to get out of Renee's house. She made sure she had everything, and that Rose wasn't too upset about leaving. One look at her and she knew Rose would rather be alone. She was an odd four year old like that. "We're going home. See you later Renee." She waved at Bella. "Bye bye Bella."

**I know this is a short one, but it is definitely longer than it was on the first write. I just want to stick with the original chapters and I am getting closer to starting next semester, and I have to begin preparing. That means buying too many textbooks and reading them, instead of writing this.**


	3. Rewritten Chapter 3

It was only a two minute walk home from Renee's and though Rosalie was normally hyper after ice cream, she was subdued, holding tightly onto Esme's hand. She dragged her feet down the driveway, keeping her eyes on the floor. Esme frowned, and squeezed her hand, worried that her daughter looked so miserable. When she got to the front door she let go of Rose's hand, to unlock the door but found it already open. She lifted Rose in ahead of her and struggled to manoeuvre the pram inside the door.

"Honey, are you home?" Esme called out, unstrapping the boys from their seats, lifting them into her arms. Rosalie had gone straight up to her room, and as soon as Esme had the boys in their chairs, she intended to go up and talk to her. She took the boys into the main room, and strapped them into their bouncers, calling out for her husband again.

A cough behind her made her turn, and she saw Carlisle stood in the doorway, looking a mix of concerned and angry, with the phone in his hand. "Renee called." He said simply. He moved to crouch down next to her, seeing to each of his boys before he looked back up at his wife. He raised his brow at her, standing up when she did. "Why is she worried about you? What's happened?" He called Rose down from her room, and a minute later she was standing at the foot of the stairs, holding her favourite teddy, an Olaf doll.

He opened his arms, and frowned when she didn't immediately run and hug him, like she normally did. He walked towards her but she skirted past him, moving to sit close to Esme on the sofa. Carlisle turned and glared at Esme. "What have you been telling people? What is going on?" He sat down next to Rose, shaking his head as she slipped off the sofa, moving down to sit with the boys, turning the channel to the Frozen movie.

Esme could tell he was getting angrier, at his wife avoiding answering his questions, and his daughter ignoring him. "Esme, if you are in some kind of trouble, I need to know." He sounded more annoyed than worried now. She took a deep breath, feeling her stomach knot and her throat start to close up. She had had panic attacks as a child, but grew out of them, until now it seemed. She looked up at Carlisle, her eyes wide, and he immediately moved closer to her, rubbing her back, telling her to take deep breaths.

"Esme..." He paused his movements for a moment, and tilted her chin up to look at him. Her face was drained of colour and she looked frightened, like a deer in headlights. "Esme, you need to relax… I'm not mad at you… I'm just worried about you." She gradually began to calm, and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her husband. He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head, tucking her hair behind her ear. It was then he noticed the darkening bruise, poorly hidden under fading makeup, on the side of her face.

He stood quickly, clenching and unclenching his fists, looking from Esme to his kids and back again. Esme motioned for him to sit down before Rose noticed he was angry. He sat down next to her again, keeping his fists tightened. "Who did that to you Esme? Has someone been hurting you? Where did you get that bruise..? Did someone hit you?" his voice got progressively louder until he was shouting. Rose looked up from the singing trolls, her favourite song, and between her parents, before bursting into tears and running out the room.

Esme glared at Carlisle, telling him to pick up the twins, who had started cry at the raised voices before she ran after her daughter. She found her curled up in the fort she had made with Carlisle that morning, her hands over her ears, crying. Esme climbed into the fort beside her, pulling her close. Rosalie buried her face in Esme's shirt and Esme held her until she stopped crying. She reached for Rose's talking Olaf, pressing his foot to get him to speak. Rosalie looked up and smiled when she heard Olaf ask her for a warm hug.

Esme waited until her daughter looked back up at her, before she said anything. "Daddy did hit mommy didn't he...? And now he's shouting." Rosalie murmured quietly hiding her face in Olaf's squishy middle. Esme shook her head, stroking her hair back from her tear stained face. "Don't be silly honey. Daddy's just a little upset. He'll calm down soon." She explained, trying to soothe her.

They sat together a while longer until Rose started to fall asleep. Esme carried her out of the fort and tucked her up in bed, kissing her goodnight. When she got back downstairs, the boys were not in their bouncers, and Carlisle was sat on the sofa, turning the remote over and over in his hands. He looked up at her, all traces of concern gone from his face.

"Sit down Esme. We are going to talk. You are going to tell me what's going on. No arguments" Esme sat down timidly, as if she were a child being told off. "Now why did Rose say I hit you?" She sighed and looked down at her hands. "Renee made a mistake. She thought, and I don't know why, that you had hit me. Rosalie just overheard. I told her you didn't do anything. Now I'm tired, I want to go to bed." She started to mumble, looking anywhere but at him. All he said was "Ok" and she stood, going upstairs.

She changed for bed, washing the makeup off her face, before she checked on the twins at the other side of the room. They were both asleep, and Esme leant over the side of the crib to kiss them both on the forehead. She heard Carlisle behind her, getting ready for bed. She turned the light off and joined him in bed, sighing quietly as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's ok... You can tell me when you're ready. But that won't stop me worrying about you." He said it like a joke but Esme could hear the implication in his tone. She nodded, resting her head on his chest. She felt safe with him, but apparently not safe enough to tell him the truth.

**Another one up. Again, short, but again, better than the original. Please R+R.**


	4. Rewritten Chapter 4

It was about 2am when Esme woke with a start, the loud terrified screams of her daughter breaking her from her own nightmares. Carlisle was still dead to the world; he as a man seemed not to be genetically predispositioned to wake at the cry of a child. She shoved him to wake him, as once again the loud noises woke up the boys from their slumber. He stumbled out of bed as Esme did, checking on the boys as Esme made her way into Rosalie's room.

Her screams had quietened into sobs, and she was sat up in bed, holding her Olaf teddy tight to her chest. Esme sat beside her, pulling her close, rocking her slowly. Soon, her sobs turned to whimpers and sniffles as she hugged her mother tightly. Carlisle joined them after he got the boys back to sleep, sitting on the other side of his daughter. Esme moved Rose gently over to Carlisle, kissing her on the side of the head, before she left the room, going back to hers and the twins.

After Carlisle had settled Rose and she had gone back to sleep, he went downstairs to heat bottles for the boys. While he was down there he made a call to Renee, asking her about Esme and how she had noticed the bruise. He was getting more concerned after his daughter had told him her nightmares were about a monster hurting her mommy. Renee's explanation caused him to grow more agitated and restless. He ended the call and finished making the bottles, leaving his phone on the counter as he took the bottles upstairs.

He handed a bottle to Esme who was holding Edward, and lifted Emmett from his crib, sitting back in bed with him. He watched his wife as they fed their boys, the anxious feeling in his stomach decreasing slightly as he watched her smile, making faces as she fed her youngest child. He almost hated having to ruin it. "Es… Rosie woke up screaming because she dreamed a monster was hurting you... That the monster was a man and he kept hitting you. What have you been telling our child?"

Esme said nothing, but glared at him in disgust, getting up to put the twins back to bed. She carried on ignoring him, turning out the light as lay back in bed, turning her back to her husband. She fell asleep almost instantly, too tired to bother continuing arguing with him. Carlisle could not fall asleep so quickly. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling, or lying on his side to watch his partner.

He watched as she tossed and turned, seemingly unable to get comfortable. She ended up on her back, her hair fanned out across her pillow. The clouds shifted in the sky, and the moon shone into their open window. He could see her now more clearly than he had before, and could actually see what looked like the full extent of her injuries, injuries he had never seen before.

She had a cut behind her right ear, and a slight abrasion at her hairline. Shifting the duvet down to her waist, moving her pyjamas aside he noticed other bruises that she had again tried to cover up. There were bruises at various stages of healing scattered over her neck, chest and arms.

Carlisle was speechless. This must have been going on for a long time, why had he never noticed it before? His mind was reeling with all sorts of questions, who, when and why? He looked back up at her face, she was smiling in her sleep. He would not dare wake her from a happy dream, and so instead lay down next to her, pulling her close.

**Blah blah, I know it is very short. I would rather be writing my Revenge stories, but I promised someone I'd get this finished. I hate how bad it sucks. Please Review.**


	5. Rewritten Chapter 5

_Esme grinned as Carlisle wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning her around. She hadn't thought her boyfriend was listening when she told him 'dancing in the rain' was part of her bucket list. They began to dance, his arms leaving her waist, one moving to her shoulder, the other grasping her hand. He span her outwards, and her grin turned to a giggle as the first drops of rain began to fall on them. They kept dancing as the rain fell harder, they were both soaked, their clothes drenched, but they just carried on dancing, until the rain stopped._

Esme woke slowly, stuck behind in her dream for a few seconds, until another drop landed on her shoulder. She blinked, and the bleary world came into focus. She felt Carlisle's arm heavy over her waist, and turned in his embrace to see him looking down at her, tears in his eyes.

Esme frowned as she sat up to reach his level, wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him in close. Her hand rubbed his back as he started crying. He hardly ever cried, and Esme hugged him tighter, her happy mood from her dream gone, replaced by an emerging sense of worry.

"What's going on honey? Why are you so upset?" She felt him shaking his head against her shoulder, not saying anything. His sobs had quietened, but she could still feel his tears falling on her skin. She held him until he loosened his grip on her, and moved to stand, to check on the kids, but he grabbed her back, this time putting his hands on her shoulders, as they sat facing each other.

"Why won't you tell me who hurt you?" He murmured, wiping the tears from his eyes. He looked embarrassed, he rarely cried, let alone in front of his wife, lest he show weakness. Esme raised her brow. "Is that what you're crying about?" She began to laugh but stopped abruptly when she saw his face, shocked and slightly angry that she would laugh at his pain.

Misunderstanding clouded her features as she placed her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. "We've been through this. You were fine with it." She looked confused as she watched him, staring out the window, then at the boys, then at his hands. He tried to look anywhere but at his wife's face, at the bruises that littered her skin. She just watched him, waiting for him to carry on speaking.

"Someone hurt you. Someone put their hands on you and did it hard enough to burst blood vessels. I cannot just 'be ok' with that. I need you to tell me what happened. I need to know..." He finally looked at her, his eyes finding the darkened patch on the side of her head. With no makeup to cover it, it looked angry.

She shook her head, climbing into his lap. He held his wife tightly, pulling her close. She rest her head against his chest, murmuring her love for him. "I think you need to get some sleep honey. You haven't slept properly in a couple of days… I'll sort the kids out, and you just relax and get some sleep. ."

She moved off his lap, tucking the blanket around his shoulders, sitting with him until he fell asleep. Hearing the twins in their cot, she went to check on them, thinking about her husband's words as she picked her youngest up, kissing his tiny nose. She felt so safe with Carlisle, being with her family, but the impending feeling of danger was making her feel ill. Something had to change.

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><p><strong>Shortest chapter yet, I know they're getting shorter, but I am doing this in my limited spare time and want to stick to the previous story outline for whatever reason. Plus this is a drabble fic. Chapters are meant to be short. Anyway, I may get one chapter up a week, I have exams in 12 weeks and I do need to prioritise. <strong>


	6. Rewritten Chapter 6

It was around 8am when Esme left the house, having struggled to control three kids and keep them quiet while their father caught up on some much needed sleep. Rosalie was cranky, having had a messed up night of sleep. The whole family hadn't slept much since the twins came home, and it was reflected in the reports from Rose's teachers. Esme had made her pancakes for breakfast in an attempt to get her to cheer up.

She left a note on her pillow for Carlisle, knowing he'd be feeling better when he had eaten and was fully functioning.

_**Honey, Rosalie's at school and the twins are at the babysitters. I thought you needed a rest so they're there for the day. I've left you some food in the fridge for your lunch and I'll be back in the evening to pick the kids up and make dinner. Just rest. Love Essy xx.**_

After she dropped the kids off, she went to work. She had been working odd days since she had the twins, and despite everything, she couldn't wait until her maternity leave was officially over until she could go back. It was more the people she worked with, and the nature of the job, than anything else.

Her day seemed to rush by, her patients all seemed to be having a good day, despite their situations. She noticed a couple of the senior nurses giving her funny looks every so often but brushed it off, claiming mild paranoia, and carried on working. She barely noticed it was time for lunch until one of her patients pointed out she'd been working non-stop since she got there.

She decided to take her break while catching up on paperwork, in the staff room. She spent more time bent over her papers, eating half her sandwich and a bite of the banana, before putting the rest of her lunch back into her locker. As she was about to shut her locker and go back to work, she noticed her phone lighting up, having just received a text message.

She bit her lip as she noticed she had three missed calls and eight text messages. The latest one she had just received read '_If I don't hear from you soon, I'm calling the cops_.' She was about to reply to his message, tell him she was fine and to calm down, when Tanya, a friend and fellow colleague ran in, letting her know there was an emergency, ETA, two minutes. Without a second thought, she threw her phone back in her locker, following Tanya out.

It was almost an hour later, after a child Rose's age had been pronounced dead from a hit and run, when Esme remembered she hadn't actually replied to him. As she made her way back to the staff room, slowly, feeling depleted of energy, she pictured Carlisle's face the previous night as he cried, her daughter screaming in terror at her dream, and the parents of the little boys faces as they had been told their son hadn't made it. She barely made it to the staff room before she broke down, sitting in the corner, her head in her hands.

She felt Tanya put her arms around her, trying to soothe her. She had been told years ago as she trained, death was hard to process at first, especially children, and even more so if you have children yourself. After everything that had been going on lately, and her lack of sleep she just let herself cry for a few minutes, before remembering the purpose she had trained for this job.

She sat up, smiling apologetically at Tanya who just shook her head sympathetically. Esme stood, properly composing herself, before making her way to her locker to retrieve her phone. Sitting back down next to Tanya, who handed her half the candy bar she had taken from her own locker. Dialling her husband's number, she shook her head in thanks at her friend and put the phone to her ear.

"Where the hell are you Esme? You've been gone hours!" Esme took a deep breath, looking at Tanya as she replied, trying to calm the obvious anger in his tone.

"I'm at work Carlisle. I'm fine, the kids are fine, I left you a note. I'll be home in a few hours, just calm down." He started to argue and Esme sighed. "Look Carlisle, I'm not in the mood right now, it's been a long day, I don't need any shit from you." Tanya raised her eyebrows and Esme smiled at her. She heard Carlisle take his own deep breath. He was clearly pissed at her, but at that moment, she could not find it in herself to care.

"We have a lot to discuss." was his parting comment, before he hung up on her. She stared at her phone in disbelief for a few seconds before putting it back in her locker. Tanya informed her they had been given an extra half hour break after their previous patient, so she linked their arms, walking down to the cafeteria for a coffee.

She had a couple of hours to calm herself down before she had to pick up the kids and go home and face he interrogation from her husband. She needed to try and cheer herself up and enjoy the rest of her shift as much as she could, as a patient had once told her, her smile could heal all by itself. Esme smiled to herself at the memory, as they reached the cafeteria, and joined the queue for the coffee.

Tanya smiled at her friend, before narrowing her eyes. "Es… what happened to your face?"

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><p><strong>Ah, I managed to make one a bit longer for you. I'm currently listening to the Annie (2014) soundtrack, and the music seems to be motivating my writing. I really need to get back to studying though. <strong>


	7. Rewritten Chapter 7

Two hours later, Esme was on her way to pick up the kids, and go home. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation she knew would ensue, but needed to get away from Tanya who would not leave her alone about her bruises. She had made up some bogus reason to explain the bruises away but it was clear Tanya, like Renee, had not believed her. It was clear she had been distracted from her work since the little boy, whom she had been told was called Garrett, and so Carmen, one of the senior nurses had told her to go home.

With all three of her kids in the car, Esme made her way back home. Rose was quiet, and according to her teacher, she had been like that all day. As she drove, she asked Rose about her day, and received mumbles and silence in return. Her boys were napping in the back, according to their sitter, they had had a busy day. After Rose ignored her questions, Esme stopped asking, and silently focused on what she was going to tell Carlisle.

Reversing into the driveway, Esme looked over at her daughter, who had called her name. She had noticed Carlisle watching them from the window, and the look on his face, he wasn't happy. "Mommy, why is daddy looking at you funny? Are we in trouble?" She frowned at Esme.

Esme parked the car and turned to the window. She glared at the house as the curtain swung back into place and turned to her eldest. "No baby, daddy just missed you today, he's just looking forward to seeing you." She helped Rose pack up all her things, before getting the twins out of the car into their carriers. She took a deep breath before going inside, Rose following. Before Carlisle could say anything, she handed Edward's carrier to him.

"He needs changing." She walked into the kitchen and began making a bottles for the boys and a snack for Rose, and after leaving it with her in front of the television, and took Emmett and the bottles upstairs. Carlisle had finished changing Edward, and began feeding him as Esme changed Emmett. When she had finished, she took a seat next to her husband, the twins between them. Once they had finished feeding, Esme took Edward from Carlisle, rocking him back to sleep.

She held Edward against her chest, looking to see Carlisle doing the same with Emmett. She saw him keep looking at her, and opening his mouth wanting to speak. Esme shook her head, narrowing her eyes at him. "Go on then… let's get this over with…"

Carlisle rolled his eyes at her, switching Emmett onto his other arm. "Why won't you tell me what happened? Are you hiding something?" She knew this conversation was never going to go well. She needed to stay calm and quiet if she wanted to get through this conversation without waking the boys, or stressing out her daughter.

She could tell he was thinking the same thing, when he looked toward the door, and Esme sighed. After her day at work she was not in the mood for confrontation, she had work she could be doing, and Rose had a new book to read. "I'm not hiding anything. And I'm not in the mood for this. Can we discuss this later?" Without waiting for an answer, Esme lifted Emmett from his arms, having mastered the technique of carrying them both, even when sleeping, soon after they were born. When one was awake, they both were, and she had spent many a long night carrying them around the house in an effort to get them back to sleep. She lay them down in their cots, closing the curtain to keep the room dark. She looked over at Carlisle, who remained unmoving, and obviously angry, on the bed. "Keep an eye on them. I'm going to make dinner with our daughter."

She found Rose downstairs, curled up on the sofa, ignoring the TV. Esme frowned and lifted her daughter into her arms, sitting with her on her lap. "Sweetheart, mommy and daddy are fine. Edward and Emmett just don't sleep well, so we're a little tired. Nobody is mad at you, we love you. We just want you to be happy." Rosalie nodded against her chest and lifted her hand to play with the locket around Esme's neck.

Smiling, she opened the locket, showing her wedding picture on one side, and a picture of the kids on the other. She took it off, putting it around her daughter's neck. "Why don't you keep hold of it for me baby. I know you'll keep it safe." Rose nodded, a smile breaking on her face as she held the locket tightly. "Now you want to help me make dinner?" Rose nodded again, and Esme lifted her up, carrying her into the kitchen, sitting her down on the counter.

She heard Carlisle waking down the stairs behind her, going into the living room, changing the channel to turn on the news. She handed Rose her phone to play with while she got ingredients out of the cupboards and fridge, planning quick and easy sausage and mash in her head. She noticed her favourite prescribed-for catalogue _'Wrap'_ on the counter and she frowned. "Honey, was there any post for me?" She called into the living room, knowing the answer before he replied.

"None." His tone was flat.

"At all?" She asked, looking at the catalogue again. Picking it up, she turned it over in her hands.

"None at all." He sounded tense, and Esme could tell he was getting annoyed. To stop herself yelling at her husband in front of her daughter, she grabbed a candy bar and split it in half, handing one half to Rose, putting her finger to her lips, as if keeping a secret from Carlisle.

She began to cook, flicking through the catalogue as Rose sat on the counter and watched her, pointing out pretty pink dresses until it was time to mash the potato. She mashed the big lumps out of the potato, adding seasoning and butter to make it softer, before letting Rose finish the mashing. She watched Rose, smiling, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

Esme began to dish out the food, setting Rose back off the counter. "Go and tell daddy dinner is ready." She shooed her out of the kitchen, setting the table. She put the catalogue into the drawer, taking her seat as she heard her daughter in the living room. "Daddy. Dinner. Now. I made the mash tato." Esme smiled, as Rose dragged her husband by the hand, into the kitchen. He lifted her into her chair and sat beside her, facing his wife. She placed their food in front of them, and sat back down, not eating.

After a few minutes of Rosalie making a mashed potato mountain for her sausages and peas, and Carlisle eating, while keeping one eye on Esme, he leaned forward, taking a breath. "Something is going on with you. I want you to tell me what went on at the hospital and why you won't tell me about it."

He put down his cutlery and stared at her over the table. Rosalie had stopped eating as well and was looking at Esme worriedly. Esme glared at him, reaching over the table to take her daughters hand. "Why don't you take your dinner and go and watch Peppa Pig honey, mommy and daddy need to talk."

She waited until Rose had taken her plate into the other room, before turning back to Carlisle. "How do you know something happened at the hospital?" She asked indignantly. She could feel hostility rolling off him in waves. She held her breath for a moment. Which incident was he talking about?

"So you're not denying it." He raised his eyebrow at her. "Tell me what's going on so I can help. Are you cheating on me?" He asked, suddenly anxious. She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"How can you even ask me that?" She looked shocked at his question and frowned, standing up from her seat. "I just gave birth to your twins, I look after you and your kids, I work, I run this house… I barely have time for a moment to myself, how dare you even suggest such a thing?"

Carlisle looked up at her, then down at his plate, guilt reflected in his eyes. She shook her head, angrily wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm going to go and help our little girl learn how to read. I suggest you leave me alone for the rest of the day…" She left her plate on the table, kicking her chair out of the way, before leaving the room.


	8. Rewritten Chapter 8

Over the next couple of hours she washed the dishes, helped Rose with the first few pages of her book, did some reading up on the new research into infectious diseases, put Rose to bed and tidied around the downstairs before it was late enough that she hoped Carlisle would be asleep.

She took her time going upstairs, making sure all the doors were locked, and the lights were off, before checking on the kids. Eventually she could put it off no longer, and got ready for bed. Instead of getting in beside her husband, she grabbed a blanket from the cupboard, her favourite book and settled on the window seat, reading her book by torchlight.

She managed to read a couple of chapters, but she could feel her eyelids drooping, and she wasn't taking in what she was reading. She closed the book, leaning her head against the cool glass, and closed her eyes, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

What felt like only a few moments later, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, turning to face her husband, who was standing behind her, his face apologetic. He murmured an apology and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up with the blanket, and carried her to the bed. She leant against his chest, exhausted with the day's events. "A little kid died today… Rosie's age. I just can't get his mother's face out of my head… When she heard her baby didn't make it. I can't even imagine the pain Carlisle…"

He pulled her closer, hugging her to him tighter. "You just need to get some sleep love, a lot has been going on lately, and the boys aren't exactly helping." Esme went to argue but found she was too tired, instead just closing her eyes, beginning to fall asleep. She slept peacefully through the night, no sign of the nightmares she feared would haunt her.

The next morning, she was woken in bed, by Rose jumping up next to her, Carlisle holding their breakfast on a tray. The boys were up and sat in their carriers, both holding the arm of one of Rose's toys. He kept them happy while she got ready for work, and made lunch for Rose and Esme.

Just before she was about to leave, she kissed her kids goodbye, wrapping her arms around her husband as he was heating bottles for the boys. He apologised once more and kissed her, waving at her with Rose at the doorway, as she set off on her way to work.

As she had the time, and didn't have to drop the kids off, she decided to walk to work, using the time to contemplate everything that had been going on. She knew Carlisle was worried about her, and she knew as her husband, she should just tell him what was going on, but something was stopping her.

Just as she was turning into the road where the hospital was, she noticed something move behind her out the corner of her eye. She ignored it and carried on walking, pausing when she sensed movement behind her. The footsteps she had been hearing for the latter half of her journey ceased when hers did, and when she turned, she saw a figure dart behind a car that was parked a few feet from where she was stood.

Shaking it off, she made her way into the building, not thinking of it again for the rest of the morning. Tanya was working the same shift as Esme was, but Esme was making a conscious effort to avoid her wherever she could. If she had to tell someone what was going on, she would rather start with her husband than anyone else.

She decided to walk the hospital gardens during her break, it was unseasonably warm, but there was a nice breeze, and Esme thought it would be a good idea to clear her head before going back to work. However as soon as she left the main doors of the hospital and turned into the gardens, she suddenly felt the sensation of being watched again.

The feeling of paranoia she was experiencing grew, as she sat down on a bench in full view of the entrance. She looked around, trying to be discreet with her movements. Her stomach dropped as she noticed someone, their face hidden by a hood, sat behind her in the rose garden, watching her. As soon as her eyes met his, he looked away, and Esme used that moment to rush back into the hospital, not slowing until she reached the staffroom, where Tanya was sat, eating a salad.

Esme stood in the doorway, breathless, holding onto the frame to keep her balance. "I swear someone is following me Tan… I've felt someone watching me all day…" Tanya stood and wrapped her arm around Esme's shoulder, pulling her further into the room. She began to question her, but the interrogation just confused her, and she sighed, putting her head in her hands.

Tanya went to Esme's locker, collecting her phone. "Listen, you're obviously sleep deprived, and you have two new-borns at home. Call Carlisle, tell him to come pick you up, I'll square it with Carmen, try and get you off work for the rest of the week. Just catch up on sleep, and spend time with your family."

Esme nodded, and as Tanya left to go find their nurse manager, she, for the second time in two days, called her husband from work, clearly agitated. He knew where she was this time, and wasn't frantically waiting for her to call, but she was still surprised at how quickly he answered. "Hey honey… listen, I'm sorry, but I need you to come and pick me up… I probably just sound paranoid, but I think someone has been following me."

His reply was brisk, but not out of concern. He sounded bored. "I'm downstairs in the cafeteria." She was about to ask why he was at her place of work, when he hung up on her. Again. His attitude was seriously starting to piss her off.

Tanya waved at her as she headed downstairs, and Esme smiled and returned the gesture as a thanks. She no longer felt as safe at work as she used to, even though she was surrounded by people, and knew logically nothing was going to happen to her. She stood in the doorway of the cafeteria looking around for her husband. She thought she saw the hooded figure, and did a double take, but her eyes only landed on Carlisle, who was sitting watching her, stony faced.

She made her way to his table, leaning down to kiss him before sitting opposite him. He looked tense and was just watching her, not making any effort to move or speak. "What are you doing here?" She mimicked his stiff posture, staring at him, her hands folded on the table as he was.

He raised his brow at her, fighting the smile that was threatening to break through on his face, before regaining his composure. "I brought you some lunch" was all he said. She sighed in frustration. She wasn't helping the situation by keeping things from him, but dammit, his mood swings were giving her whiplash.

She shook her head at him, remembering back to that morning when he had handed her a packed lunch, the same time he handed their daughter hers. "You already gave me my lunch, I remember you making it this morning... Now what are you really doing here?" She leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands.

Without a word, Carlisle lifted a brown paper bag from the seat next to him, and slid it across the table to her. She pulled a face, dropping her hands to the table. He leaned forward, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I was worried about you. You've been off lately… and after that phone call earlier… I just think you really need some sleep." He dropped his hand from her face and took her hand in his. "And you really did forget your lunch."

She nodded in appreciation, grabbed the bag and stood up. "I should get back to work… busy busy." She looked down at him apologetically. "Thanks for this. Feels like days since I last ate…" He shook his head at her, this time smiling. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her down onto his lap.

"Not a chance Mrs Cullen. Stay here with me. You need to eat, don't think I haven't noticed you skipping meals." She giggled, moving from his lap to the seat beside him, picking at her lunch. She chatted absentmindedly with Carlisle until his phone rang. When he got up from the table to answer it, Esme stood too, leaving the rest of her lunch on the table, heading back upstairs.


	9. Rewritten Chapter 9

Esme spent the rest of the day keeping busy, working hard, and seeing a lot of patients. She ignored Tanya when she asked why she hadn't gone home, even going as far as volunteering to work an extra shift when Carmen asked. The agreed time she was supposed to work too was 3am, and though Esme knew her husband would be beyond angry when he realised she had taken the late shift without talking to him first, but she was banking on him being asleep when she got home, and at work when she woke up.

The last few hours of her shift were exhausting, with her mainly focusing on paperwork, and taking a quick nap in the on call room. She had one missed call from Carlisle, and figured he had just given up arguing with her. At the end of her shift, she sought out Eleazar, the night nurse manager, who gave her the weekend off, reminding her she was still supposed to be on maternity leave, and was only supposed to be working when they were short staffed.

She knew, if he was awake when she got back there would be trouble. She had noticed the missed call, but hadn't noticed the voicemail he had left her around 1am. Threatening would be putting it lightly. It was when she stepped outside the hospital doors, that she remembered she had walked to work. The brisk wind caused her to shiver and pull her jacket tighter, heading off in the direction of her home.

After the long walk, which seemed only longer as the temperature dropped, she arrived home having lost all sensation in her fingers. She locked the door behind her, turning the fire on to warm up. She didn't risk turning on the kettle, or microwave, lest the noise wakes anyone up, instead she grabbed a blanket, settling on the couch. The hunger pains she had been suffering from earlier had gone, now she just felt empty.

When she had sufficiently warmed, and had eaten a banana, due to the dizziness she experienced whenever she was stood upright, she made her way up to bed. She was physically and emotionally exhausted, and more than anything just wanted to curl into a ball and sleep for days.

Having not seen her daughter for almost 24 hours, she decided to poke her head in just to check she was ok. She was surprised to see that she wasn't asleep, that she was sat up with her knees pulled to her chest, staring intently at the doorway Esme stood in. Without a second thought, Esme crossed the room, scooping her daughter up in her arms. Rosalie relaxed, letting her body go limp as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, hiding her face in her shoulder. Esme held her tight, moving to the rocking chair she used to sit in when Rose was a baby, and relaxed herself. Rose held her hand to Esme's face, taking her attention. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and Esme frowned at the heartbroken look on the young girls face.

"You or daddy is leaving." It wasn't a question, and Esme took her hand, confused. "What would make you say something like that?" Rose wiped her eyes tiredly. "Alice said her mommy left her daddy cos they were shouty all the time. Like you and daddy." Esme didn't say anything, merely held her daughter tighter, kissing the top of her head.

Eventually, Rose fell asleep. Esme was dozing, still exhausted, but stayed awake, watching her daughter sleep. What felt like seconds later, she felt herself being lifted into the air, before being put back down in her own bed. She looked up, only just awake and saw Carlisle standing over her. He had carried her and Rose to her room, and was tucking them in together so they could sleep. She was almost back in her deep slumber when she felt the bed dip, Carlisle having joined them. She felt him wrap his arms around them, before exhaustion knocked her out.

When she woke again, she was alone, and the sun was shining brightly through the window. The alarm was blinking at 12:00. Esme sighed, rolling over to reach her watch on the nightstand. 2:30 pm. So she had slept for almost eight hours. That had by no means eased the fatigue, but she could hear her family downstairs, Rose laughing at something on the TV, Carlisle talking to the boys as he fed them.

Esme sat up in bed, shaking her head a few times to wake herself up. Her daughter laughed again, and the sound made her stand, grabbing a robe, to make her way downstairs. She was at the bottom of the stairs, about to go to her kids, when the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's a stupid place to end it, but it was where I ended it in the original, and I have not yet re-read my old chapter 10, so I cannot remember what occurred there. However, I shall probably start re-writing that one tonight, to finish this weekend. Probably. Back to lectures and studying tomorrow :(<strong>


	10. Rewritten Chapter 10

Esme pulled open the door as Carlisle walked through from the kitchen, carrying a grizzling Emmett in his arms. She opened the door wider, smiling slightly as her husband wrapped his spare arm around her waist.

Looking at the figure now stood in their doorway she grinned wider, seeing her childhood school best friend, Emily, stood in the doorway. She moved forward, wrapping her arms around the girl who'd been her best friend and closest ally growing up. "Hey! Ems!"

Carlisle tensed, stepping forward, wrapping his arm back around her. Esme frowned, side stepping his arm, pulling Emily properly into the house, and into the main room. "Rosie… look who came to visit you!"

Rose looked up from the book she was pretending to read, the smile that broke on her face being the biggest Esme had seen in days. She jumped, running at the woman who had been a permanent fixture in their home for almost a year just before the twins were born, when she was on a trial separation from her husband, Sam.

Esme picked up Edward, sitting down to feed him as Emily picked up Rose, swinging her around the room. Rose laughed loudly as Carlisle joined them, standing still in the corner, watching the scene before him. "So what are you doing here Emily? Sam kick you out again?"

Esme glared at him, shaking her head in a 'shut up' motion, as Emily settled Rose on her hip, turning to Carlisle. "No actually, he ended his affair with Leah. I forgave him. And I haven't seen those beautiful boys and this gorgeous girl…" She paused, playfully scrunching up her nose at Rose, before looking back at Carlisle. "For months. So I thought I'd stop by when I had the time off work."

She sat Rose down next to Esme, kissing Edward's chubby cheek, before standing up straight. She took Emmett out of Carlisle's arms, handing him over to Esme too, and on turning, grabbed Carlisle by the crook of his elbow, half dragging him through to the kitchen, muttering a 'we need to talk.'

Esme put the boys down in their baskets, shutting the door to the room, turning the radio on. She picked the 'Annie' soundtrack, and took Rose's hands, dancing around the room with her. Though the music was loud, she could hear Carlisle and Emily's raised voices in the kitchen. Rose began singing 'Tomorrow', quietly as she stopped dancing, wandering over to her brothers.

She turned up the music, trying to block out the sound of the arguing, before joining Rose next to the boys, sitting down with them. She pulled Rose onto her lap, leaning over with her to look at the boys. She watched them wave their arms around, smiling up at her, before the door was flung open, startling all of them.

Carlisle stormed in, slightly ahead of Emily, dropping to his knees next to his family. He glared up at her, possessively wrapping his arm around his wife and daughter. "You cannot take my family from me Emily, no matter what Esme has said to you… They are staying right here with me!" Esme looked between Emily and Carlisle, confusion evident on her features.

"What? What are you talking about? What is going on?" Her confusion had turned into a knot of anxiousness, at what she had said to Emily, to Carlisle, and what they had said to each other. Rose was looking between her parents and her 'Auntie Ems', holding Esme's hand tight. Emily knelt down beside them, causing Carlisle to shuffle backwards, still gripping Esme's elbow. Rose held her arms out to Emily, who picked her up from Esme's lap, hugging her to her chest tightly.

"I was worried about you and the kids Es… we haven't talked for days, and last time we did, you were just… different. I thought I needed to visit, just to check you're ok." Esme sighed and stood, lifting her daughter back into her arms. She looked sternly over at her friend, gesturing with her elbow at Carlisle.

"What did you say to him that made him so wound up?" She put Rose down on the floor, picking up the toys that the Rose had left around on the floor that morning. Emily paused, not saying anything, but the guilt on her face was clear.

"I said if he can't look after you, then you and the kids are going to come and stay with me for a while. Esme stopped in her tracks, standing up straight, as she looked up at Carlisle, then Emily and then down at Rose. Carlisle looked heartbroken, Emily looked uncomfortable and Rose looked upset. Esme walked over to her husband, wrapping her arms around her husband. He stood stiffly for a second, before Rose wrapped her arms around his leg, and he pulled his wife and child closer.

Emily stepped forward, putting her hand on Esme's arm, trying to pull her away from Carlisle. "Esme… come on. We have talked about this…" Esme shrugged her off, taking a step back from everyone. She noticed Rose holding onto Carlisle's trouser leg tighter and took more steps back, waving her hands in the air.

"I can't deal with this right now Emily… if you'd like to stay for dinner, feel free, but I need a moment…" With that, she turned around making her way out of the room. Carlisle went to follow her, but Emily shook her head, walking towards the door.

"I'll go… You stay her with the kids." She turned back to him as she reached the door, frowning at the man stood silently, holding Rosalie's hand. "Esme and I have been friends since we were in preschool. A hell of a lot longer than she's even known you. My top priority right now is make sure she and the kids are happy and safe."

Carlisle shook his head in disbelief, bending down to be face to face with Rose as Emily shut the door behind her. Rose looked confused, and the sadness in her eyes mirrored the devastation in her fathers.


	11. Rewritten Chapter 11

Esme had only gone upstairs, and knew that either her husband or her friend were going to come after her soon, so she decided to lock herself in the bathroom. She sat on the side of the bath and put her head in her hands, trying not to cry.

She was confused. And upset. She knew she needed to start being straight with everyone, Carlisle to start with, but she knew when she finally did, everything would change.

She heard a knock at the door and lifted her head from her hands, waiting to see who was at the door. When she heard Emily call her name, she was both relieved and slightly disappointed, having half hoped it would be Carlisle come to check on her. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, standing to unlock the door for Emily.

"Esme, are you ok?" She said nothing else, only moved to sit next to Esme, who had returned to her seat on the bath. Esme remained silent, standing if only to give her something to do. "Esme, I'm sorry about what I said to Carlisle, I'm just so worried about you…" Esme walked out of the bathroom and into her room, sitting down on the bed.

Every time Emily sat beside her she stood, moving to another part of the room, or another part entirely, until after a few minutes, Emily grew frustrated, grabbing Esme's arm as she stood up from the rocking chair in Rosalie's room.

"Alright, that is enough. Stop it. Tell me what is going on." She turned so that they were face to face, before sighing deeply. "You know what it is? My head is just such a mess. I cannot form a single coherent thought in my head, and I just need to get out of this house, and away from Carlisle, and away from everything.

Emily smiled politely and linked her arm with her friends. "Alright then. Let's go shopping. Before you argue, it's just what you need. Mindless fun with your two favourite girls." Esme looked over at her quizzically. "Me and Rosie, dummy." Emily grinned, unlinking their arms to elbow her playfully. Esme smiled and nodded, walking back to her room.

Esme sat down to put on some shoes, turning to Emily as she tied her laces. "So why did you come here? I mean… you could have just called?" She backtracked when she saw the wounded look on her friend's face. "I mean, not that I'm not glad you came, you just… didn't have to put yourself out."

The look that crossed her face clearly said she was hiding something, but she masked it quickly. Esme narrowed her eyes at her quickly, before turning to go downstairs. "Right, come on. Rosie and I need some mommy-daughter time. She's been so… jumpy lately. I think she knows there's something wrong with me and her dad."

It was clear something was bothering her daughter when they got back downstairs. She was sat in the corner, watching Carlisle pace around with a twin in either arm, whispering to them. Esme walked over to Rose, lifting her up into a hug. Without saying a word, she walked out of the room, sitting her on the stairs to help her put her boots and jacket on. Emily took one look at Rose and pushed past Esme to where Carlisle was standing. "We're going out. We're going to spoil your daughter, and make her feel like someone actually cares about her. You can look after the boys. We'll see you later. Maybe."

They drove to the mall in silence, Esme gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. Emily was sat in the back with Rose, who had fallen asleep holding onto her hand. Esme kept looking back at them and noticed Emily frowning at her. At a red light, she turned to check on her daughter, who was sniffling in her sleep. She turned back, as the traffic began moving again, trying to ignore Emily's steely glare burning into the back of her head.

"What? What did I do wrong now?"

Emily sighed and shook her head, squeezing the four year olds hand. "Your daughter is really worried about you. She thinks you and Carlisle are going to break up. You need to sit down with Carlisle and talk. And then talk to Rosie, because she knows something is wrong."

Esme scowled, pulling into the parking lot of the mall. For mid-afternoon, it was very busy, and the available parking spaces were few and far between. She drove down the rows, looking for an empty space as she looked back at Emily through the mirror. "I already had this discussion with her. She's fine. She understands."

Eventually she found a space and pulled in. She got out, moving round to Rosalie's side, unbuckling the sleeping child out of the car, lifting her into her arms as Emily grabbed their bags. "I can just as easily take Carlisle's side as I did yours" She raised her eyebrow, walking beside Esme as they made their way into the mall.

**Ok, I know this one sucks, but I am pretty high on painkillers right now. I am so distracted while writing this, but I said I would get something up before I go back to uni, and I do have to do some work next week. Anyway, forgive this crap, I have not the energy to re-do it for the third time, and I cannot find it in me to care that it is so bad. **


	12. Rewritten Chapter 12

Rosalie woke up as they walked into the mall and squirmed in Esme's arms. Frowning, she bent down to put her on her feet, reaching to take her hand. Rose furrowed her brow and slipped her hand out of her mothers, into Emily's. Esme took a breath, a slight feeling of betrayal sinking in her stomach.

She fell into step a few spaces behind the two, zipping up her jacket, forcing her hands into her pockets. Emily turned to look at her, having stopped in her tracks. She shook her head until Esme was stood next to them. "So what's the plan?" Emily looked down at Rose and then to Esme as she asked, looking to Rose for an answer. Rose held her arms out, and looked up at Emily with wide eyes, the signal to 'pick me up' she'd perfected when she was a baby. Emily picked her up and swung her onto her hip, as Esme looked down at the ground, biting her lip.

"Well, seeing as my daughter would rather spend her 'mommy-daughter' time with you, I have no idea. Let's browse, and just waste some time." She sighed and stalked off, heading in the general direction of the Nordstrom store, and busied herself trying to find a new party dress for an upcoming hospital event, trying to ignore Rosalie dragging Emily around the store, pointing out pretty dresses.

She found an appropriate dress and went to the shop next door to look for a new jacket for Rosalie. Once she had found the perfect jacket, she walked out, swinging the bags, seeing Emily and Rose sat on a bench, still holding hands. Emily smiled hesitantly at the child's mother, which was not returned, as Esme stood, walking ahead of the pair, glancing over her shoulder at her daughter. Emily, beginning to feel frustrated with the situation, increased their pace so they were walking in a line again.

Emily knelt down so she was face to face with Rose, whispering in her ear, until she picked her up, passing her into Esme's arms. Esme hugged her close to her as Rosalie wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "Mommy… are you mad at me?"

Rosalie looked up at her, her wide eyes filling with tears. Esme shook her head, "Oh baby, I could never be mad at you. Mommy is just sad. She wanted to spend some time with her favourite girl." Her smile brightened, and Rose hugged her tighter. "Why would you even ask that?" They made their way into through the mall as Rose bit her lip, her head on Esme's shoulder.

"You keep on ignoring me and Auntie Em and you won't talk to me." She lifted her head to look over at Emily before looking back at her mom. Esme stood still for a second, shifting her daughter in her arms to look her straight in the face. "Shall we go to the toy store?" Esme wiped away the tears that had fallen down Rose's cheeks, kissing the tip of her nose as she nodded. Her eyes were sparkling as she smiled, and they headed to the biggest toy store in the mall, Esme carrying Rose, and her arm linked with Emily's.

They spent the best part of the next hour browsing, both adults picking up toys to show the four year old, grinning as she shook her head at most of them. When they reached the 'make-your-own' section on the top floor of the store, Rose stopped dead in her tracks, before running to a wall, picking up one of the teddies. She was bouncing on her toes, squealing as she held it up to Esme. "Mommy… please can I?" Esme smiled at her daughter's politeness and gave her the go ahead to begin making the bear.

Emily and Esme stood together, watching as she stuffed the teddy, picking out different outfits when Rose asked their opinions. They walked around with her as she moved to the heart station, laughing at her impatience as the store workers used the machine to sew the teddy up.

Once they handed her the teddy, Esme moved over to pay for it, as Emily took her to the counter to get the bears 'birth certificate'. As Esme finished paying she made her way to the others. Emily looked anxious and turned to Esme, pulling her away from Rose to talk to her. "Es… Rose wants to name the teddy Jasper. Are you ok with that?" The question caused Esme to lose her breath, but she nodded, quickly making her way out of the store.

A few minutes later, Rose came running out of the store, waving her teddy in the air. "Mommy look! He's so cuddly" Emily walked after her, holding all the accessories she'd picked, an anxious smile crossing her face. Esme picked Rose up, examining the teddy as Rose told her she named him after her brother. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she hugged her daughter and the teddy tightly.

The next half hour or so was spent browsing through book shops and music stores, looking for some nursing journals and some music for the boys' bedtime. Rose spent her time flitting between Emily and Esme, carrying and talking to her teddy, before they all stopped for ice cream. Emily was sat with Rose on her knee, playing some made up game Rose had invented. Esme frowned as Emily waved at her, pointing over her shoulder at something behind her.

"DADDY! Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Rose jumped down from Emily's lap, running towards Carlisle who was making his way towards them pushing the twins in their pram. He carried on until he reached their table, lifting Rosalie into his arms. Esme checked on the boys, before Carlisle handed his daughter to Emily, taking Esme by the arm, pulling her to standing position. Emily began to protest but quickly stopped when he pulled his wife into his arms, kissing her passionately. They were getting stares from the people sat around them but they ignored them. They kissed until Emily cleared her throat, loudly. They broke apart, Carlisle placing a kiss on Esme's forehead, wrapping his arms around her as she leant against him.

"I missed you."

* * *

><p><strong>See previous AN. Literally posting this as I'm getting my daily dose of IV antibiotics and it's a nightmare. Apologies if it sucks.**


	13. Rewritten Chapter 13

Emily coughed, trying to break them from their own little world, and grinned when they looked at her, looking embarrassed. "I'll be off then shall I?" She shook her head in mock disappointment and smiled. "I have to check on Sam and they guys anyway. They've probably trashed my house." She bent down to kiss Rosalie on the forehead, before picking up her shopping, making her way towards the exit. Esme smiled at her, waving at her retreating form when Rose did.

She knelt down in front of the twins, kissing them as they grinned big toothless smiles at her. Picking up all of their bags, and everything Rose had left scattered around their table, she put them into the back of the pram, turning it around to face away from the food court. Carlisle picked his daughter up, grinning at her. "Hey princess. Have you had fun with mommy?" She nodded excitedly and he smiled. "Alright sweetheart, one more shop, where do you want to go? Disney?"

Esme reached for her daughter when she held out her arms for her. "Mommy, daddy said we can go Disney. Hurry!" She smiled and handed her back to Carlisle, following her husband and daughter towards Rose's favourite store. Rose was bouncing up and down, holding Carlisle's hand, as Esme pushed the boys.

Carlisle and Esme walked around the store, following Rose as she bounced around the 'Frozen' section. Once they had found and bought the perfect stationary and colouring pencil set and a frozen colouring book, they found a table outside in the sun, letting Rose sing Frozen songs as she coloured, her new bear sat on her lap. Esme sat leaning against Carlisle, each with a twin on their lap.

When Carlisle asked Rose about the bear, and received no answer, Esme turned to face him, whispering quietly. "She wanted to call him Jasper. Is that ok with you?" She didn't fail to notice the look of concern that crossed his face, as they both took a moment to remember their lost son. He squeezed her hand, kissing her lightly. "I don't have a problem with that Es. If you're ok with it."

They sat for a while until Rosalie got bored of colouring and stood up to wander off, Carlisle then deciding it was time to head back. Emily had taken Esme's car back to pick up her own, and so Esme took Rose's hand, carrying the teddy while Rose carried her drawings, to where Carlisle had parked his car. He strapped the boys into the car as Esme strapped in Rose, kissing her forehead as she started to fall asleep.

After the boys had been strapped in, he collapsed the pram, putting all the bags in the trunk. He debated asking her how much she had spent, but decided against it, getting into the driver's seat. Esme turned to her ever-patient husband and bit her lip. "One more stop? And then we can go home?" He nodded and smiled, merely happy they were no longer arguing.

"Take as long as you want Es, we have the whole night together." Esme grinned, leaning over to kiss her husband, noticing Rosalie smiling in the mirror, as she watched them. "What do you need anyway?" She looked back at him, from looking at their kids. "Just some shoes to go with the dress I got, for next week's hospital benefit."

Carlisle nodded, driving out of the mall parking lot, towards a little boutique shoe store that Esme liked to shop in. As she was inside, Carlisle sat watching the kids in the mirror. Rose was asleep, the remnants of blue candyfloss around her mouth. He laughed at his daughter, she had an obsession with princesses and pink things, yet she never ate pink food, always preferring the blue kind. He remembered back to her fourth birthday party, when her cake had ended up all over the walls, due to its pink colour. Esme got back into the car, noticing Carlisle's smile, smiling too when he relayed the memory back to her.

That evening, after dinner, Esme had put the boys to bed, Rosalie was dozing on the sofa cuddling her teddy, whom she'd officially named Jasper, and told it to the photo of Jasper hanging on the wall in her room. Carlisle finished washing the dishes, and helped Rose change into her pyjamas, before the three of them sat together on the sofa, watching Annie.

Halfway through, Rose fell asleep, and Carlisle carried her up to her room, before re-joining Esme on the sofa. She pulled her legs up, leaning against her husband, for the first time in a long time, completely content. Carlisle wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing the top of her head. And when she looked up at him, he was taken aback by the love, and the intense vulnerability that was reflected in them. This was better. They were better. No fights. No tears. He wondered how long that would last.

**I aim to have this story, not finished, but so far re-written by the time I go to sleep. I think I got up to chapter 16. I am so far not ready to continue this story, merely because I have 6 days left until I have to go back to uni, and most of those, I NEED to study. Should have been studying today but I got bored and decided to write. Anyway. I might get up to 16 today, and then update with a whole new chapter sometime in the next few weeks. I have an assignment due in a month that I have not even started, but then straight after is Easter break. So we'll see.**


	14. Rewritten Chapter 14

The week following the shopping trip was quiet. Most of Esme's bruises had almost faded completley and the couple had stopped arguing. The only tears shed were from the boys, and Rosalie once, when she had fallen. They were talking more and spending more time together, both were working fewer hours and they had even taken the three kids out to a fair. The evenings were spent cooking together, watching movies, even reading together when the kids were in bed. They were the happiest they had been since the twins had been born.

That Friday was the hospital benefit that they had both been invited too. As a nurse, Esme had been described by her colleagues as one of the kindest and most helpful people that worked in the hospital. She loved to volunteer on the children's ward and always, before the twins came at least, took on all the extra shifts when they needed the staff. The patients and a lot of the staff loved her. She'd been invited to the benefit every year she had been working at the hospital, with Carlisle, who as a lawyer, was sometimes involved with the hospital.

The day had been a relaxed one. Rose had not been at pre-school and the boys had not been at the babysitters, and Esme and Carlisle had spent the day with the kids, having breakfast in bed, taking a walk down by the lake. By early afternoon, Esme was getting ready for the benefit, showering and dressing in the dress she'd bought the week previous, letting Rosalie help her with her hair and makeup, until Carlisle distracted her with cookies, and she did it all over again.

When the time came when they needed to leave, the babysitter had arrived and was then putting the boys to bed. Carlisle called for Esme up the stairs, telling them it was time to go. As she descended the stairs, Rose ran up to meet her, hugging her knees. She placed her hand on top of Rose's head, ruffling her hair, while still watching Carlisle. "You look so pretty mommy!" The little girl seemed to be overly excited, and Esme put it down to the plateful of cookies she had no doubt consumed.

"Thank you baby." Esme was somewhat distracted, not able to take her eyes off her husband, looking very dashing in his tux, similar to the one he wore at their wedding. When she reached him, she bit her lip, using her index finger to push his chin up, closing his mouth. He grinned at her and kissed her hand.

"She's right. You look… amazing Mrs Cullen." He held her hand to his lips again, this time kissing her palm, as Esme leant into him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "You don't look so bad yourself their Mr Cullen." He kissed the side of her head, and Esme blushed. This was her husband. They'd been married for years, had kids, and were at home. There was no reason for her to be embarrassed over what could barely be called a PDA. Still, she turned away from him, looking down at Rose as she giggled.

Carlisle knelt down so that he was face to face with her, taking her hands so she would give him her full attention. "Now Rosie… listen to me. Mommy and daddy are going to a party tonight, and Angela from down the street is here to look after you. Now I need you to be a big girl and look after your brothers for me, and do everything Angela tells you to do, and we will see you tomorrow, ok?" Rose nodded and walked over to Esme, hugging her when she bent down. "I love you mommy." Once Esme had reciprocated, she waved at her parents and ran upstairs as fast as she could, to find Angela.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hotel where the benefit was being held. There were cars arriving and leaving, people from all different areas of the hospital were dressed up, entering the hotel ballroom. Everyone they passed on their way in commented on how pretty she looked and Carlisle was beginning to get jealous at the way some of the males were looking at her. Esme squeezed his hand, and smiled up at him, giggling at the possessive way he wrapped his arm around her waist.<p>

They made their rounds, greeting everyone Esme worked with, and the lawyers Carlisle sometimes worked with. Eventually they sat down with Tanya and her fiancée James, Carmen and her husband Eleazar and another two couples from their department. They began talking about their work, their kids. When the food came, the men started talking about sport while the Esme told Carmen and Tanya about how much the boys had been growing, what they were now able to do. As Tanya and Carmen broke off into their own conversation, Esme turned to Carlisle who was watching her, his eyes twinkling. He smiled, leaning forward to kiss the corner of her mouth.

After the meal, the floors were cleared for dancing. Carlisle lifted Esme from her seat, sweeping her onto the dancefloor. He wrapped his arms around her, and she relaxed, allowing him to lead. She smiled as Tanya and James danced past them, Carlisle spinning her out, and back into his arms. A second later she froze, staring at someone in the crowd. Feeling her stiffen in his arms, Carlisle looked down at his wife, and then followed her gaze.

Esme shivered, breaking away from Carlisle, running in the direction of the bathroom. Carlisle followed quickly, grabbing her arm to stop her running further. Esme leant against the wall, shaking, her arms wrapped around herself, while Carlisle stood, unsure what was going on, and how to help. He reached for her, wrapping his arms around her as she leant against his chest taking a deep breath. She looked up at him, swaying slightly, and Carlisle frowned. "What's going on Esme? What did you see?"

Esme answered by reaching up and touching his cheek, before passing out in his arms.

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><p><strong>So I lied. I didn't get to finish up to chapter 16 yesterday, but I got sick last night. Again. I have spent yet another day not studying. I don't know why I do this to myself. I know I need to work harder but I can't make myself so. Can't wait to fail out of uni. Rewriting and updating this story though is the fastest I've written since I've been writing. Who knows, maybe this summer I will get a job, and write. Perhaps finish all my stories before my second year so I don't have the distraction. <strong>


	15. Rewritten Chapter 15

"Wake up Es, come on..."

Esme winced at the pain, a dull ache, radiating through her body, her vision blurry as she opened her eyes, looking around for her husband. His face, and others were swimming in her view, and she lifted her arm towards his image, searching for something to hold on to. She felt him take her hand and blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. His face came into view, and he looked worried, grasping her hand tightly as he knelt beside her.

She could hear noises around her, and groaned as she tried to sit up, bringing her hand to her head as she swayed dizzily. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her, lying her back down. "It's ok Es… just lie down." She leaned against him weakly, noticing a few people stood around, Tanya standing at her feet. She looked up at her and frowned. She looked back up at Carlisle, who traced her cheek, his brow furrowed.

A loud voice caused Esme to look away from her husband and to the two paramedics that were making their way through the crowd. Esme turned to shake her head at her husband, almost in disappointment, who looked a little guilty. "Are you kidding me? You called an ambulance? We're literally in a room full of healthcare professionals..." Her voice was still weak but her tone was indignant.

She tried to stand again, but the female paramedic, whom she vaguely recognised as Jessica, a new recruit, pushed her back down while Mike, a womaniser whom Esme had once had the displeasure of meeting outside of work, tried to take her blood pressure. She tried to get up again, but Carlisle was now looking angry, and was glaring at her. "She hit her head when she fell, she was out for a couple of minutes, I think she needs to go on a board."

Esme rolled her eyes at Tanya, who pushed Carlisle out of the way and took her hand. "Don't worry about it. He's just worried about you, and we just need to be cautious. How about I stop at yours on my way home and let the babysitter know you may be late back. Relief filled Esme as she nodded at her friend, grateful that she had got involved, before turning to Carlisle, narrowing her eyes at him. "Asshole. I'm fine, Ii just want to go home."

By the time they arrived at the emergency room, she had lost consciousness and woken again. Carlisle had called Angela asking her to stay longer until they found someone else to take over, offering to pay her extra, and called his work, letting them know he would be absent the next day. When they arrived, Esme was conscious again, and was muttering about how she was fine and just wanted to go home. Carlisle and the paramedics were ignoring her, again taking her blood pressure after she passed out again, and determined her pulse and blood pressure were almost dangerously low.

When they stuck her to take blood, Carlisle took his wife's hand, squeezing it tightly. He knew, though didn't understand due to her job as a nurse, that she was terrified of needles. He stood with her as the nurses bustled around until they left. He took his place next to her bed, apologising for calling the ambulance. Down to the headache she had, and the stress of the event, she was too tired to argue, and so just held his hand, discussing trivial matters, though completely ignoring what had happened at the benefit.

An hour later, the doctor had asked for an echocardiogram, after listening to her chest, and a CT to see if there was any damage to do with her collapse. While she had been down getting the scans, Carlisle had gone home to check on the kids, and to get some clothes for Esme, so she didn't have to stay dressed up.

She lay on the bed, staring straight up at the ceiling, trying to calm herself with deep breaths. She had changed and removed her makeup, the almost faded bruise around her face was just visible. She looked visibly scared, and that, plus the episode earlier that evening, was causing Carlisle's stomach to turn with concern. "Baby… listen, we need to talk…"

She turned to him but made no move to reply, instead gripping his hand tightly to her chest. "You need to tell me what happened? What happened to make you get those bruises? What scared you on the dancefloor today? What scared you?" His voice was quiet, he was trying to remain calm for his wife, but the stress was causing a strain on the whole family. Instead of answering him, she turned to face away from him, loosening her grip on his hand. Carlisle turned her face back to him, wiping the silent tears that had fallen.

Sighing, he moved up onto the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She leant back against him, allowing her tears to fall, just letting herself relax. He kissed her temple, hugging her close, as he allowed himself to fall asleep.

He woke quickly however, when Esme carefully tried to remove herself from his arms. He watched her as she got off the bed, removing the blood pressure cuff and pulse monitor, to walk towards the door. She looked back at him, closing her eyes, taking a deep breath as she reached the door.

She was just about to open it as it opened from the outside, her doctor entering. His expression was sombre, and for some reason, the look frightened Esme. His next words caused her to step back, taking a deep breath.

"I'm afraid it's not good news…"

"…"

**So I wrote this while I was watching EastEnders 30****th**** Anniversary live episode. So far, we do not know who killed Lucy Beale, but this dramatic episode has probably made this chapter more dramatic and rushed than it otherwise would have been.**


	16. Rewritten Chapter 16

Carlisle heard his wife whimper and sat up as she took a few steps back, almost stumbling. He got off the bed, wrapping his arms around Esme, pulling her back to sit on the bed. She was holding her breath, looking at her doctor, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

He waited until both his patient and her husband were looking at him, remaining stoic and professional. He flicked through his notes, checking her most recent vitals. He noticed Carlisle take Esme's hand, whispering into her ear.

"According to your ECG, blood tests and angiogram you have a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as stress-related cardiomyopathy. It's a condition caused by significant emotional or physical stress and the resulting increased release of hormones causes a stunning of your heart muscle, if you will." He paused as he let the diagnosis sink in.

Esme brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Carlisle pulled her closer to him, kissing the side of her head and squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, frowning as he turned back to the doctor. "What does that mean?"

"Well, the good news is that this initial acute attack is only likely to occur once, it is temporary and reversible. But at the moment, your wife has a weakening of the muscle portion of the heart. Now it can lead on to other cardiac conditions but if treated correctly, it is unlikely he condition will have any further effect."

Esme released a breath, leaning into her husband's side. He released his on breath, standing up from the bed to thank the doctor. After a moment, he left, and Esme stood with him, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood for a moment before Esme pulled away from him.

"Hey, did Angela call? Are my babies ok?" Carlisle pulled her back into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "They're fine. She said she'd crash on the couch until we get back, she loves Rosie you know." Esme nodded, keeping a grip on her husband.

A nurse interrupted them, making Esme sit on the bed so she could insert a cannula to begin an IV. Carlisle gripped her hand, sighing as the nurse told them Esme would need to be admitted for at least the night. She winced as the solution began to enter her bloodstream, and noticing this, the nurse mentioned it might feel cold at first.

They sat in silence for a while, Carlisle wrapping a blanket around Esme when she got cold. The nurse came in and measured her blood pressure and temperature, frowning at her elevated vitals. She left and when she returned, brought the doctor with her, who informed Carlisle visiting times were over, and he needed to leave.

Esme looked up at him, her wide eyes filling with tears at the thought of spending the night alone in the hospital. Carlisle stood and glared at the doctor, turning back to his wife, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. "It's ok baby, I'll go home and check on the kids, and come back in the morning. The night will just fly by when you get some sleep. You'll be fine. But we can't tell Rose what's wrong. She will not take it well. We'll just tell her they wanted you to work an extra shift."

Esme scowled at her husband's blasé attitude and raised her eyebrow at him when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and pulled away from his wife, heading outside the room to answer the call.

He stood stony faced, turned slightly away from Esme as the person on the other end of the phone was speaking, before gripping the phone slightly tighter, seemingly angry. "I can't talk... No, I really can't..." Carlisle snapped into the phone, turning his voice to a whisper as a nurse walked past. He looked at Esme as she looked back at him from reading her IV, offering him a weak smile. He tried to smile in return, but it looked forced. He walked a few steps away, until he was hidden from her view, pressing the phone back to her ear.

"Look, what happened was a mistake. I cannot, and will not discuss this matter further." He ended the call abruptly, quickly deleting the call from his history. He hesitated before walking back into Esme's room, noticing she had closed the blinds, and was sat, cross legged on the bed, staring intently at her phone.

She looked up as he moved in the doorway, turning slightly to face him. She raised a questioning brow at him, but he ignored it, instead striding towards her to wrap his arms around her. "The kids will be fine. I'll bring Rose in in the morning, we'll meet in the café so she doesn't get suspicious."

He helped her under the blanket, arranging a cushion under her arm where the cannula was still titrating medication into her veins, kissing her softly. "You'll be fine honey. We'll discuss this properly tomorrow." With another kiss he left, glancing back to check on her.

The drama and excitement of the day had made her tired. She fell asleep quickly, but all night her dreams were haunted of the face she had seen in the crowd.

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><p><strong>This chapter contains medical stuff that isn't entirely accurate. It was used for impact, not accuracy, so don't be too critical. This is the last chapter I had already written. So after this there will probably be a long delay until my next update. I have to write it. From scratch. So thanks for sticking with me, I will update, and will not leave it another 4 years!<strong>


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